NeoPhotonics (News - Alert), a designer and manufacturer of photonic integrated circuit, or PIC, based modules and subsystems, announced that it has quadrupled the capacity for the PIC-based integrated coherence receivers (ICRs) for the 40 and 100 Gbps coherent fiber optic transport systems.

NeoPhotonics explained that its ICR is designed to eliminate the need for system designers to place a PBS externally, decreasing circuit board footprint requirements. The product supports the OIF (News - Alert) Implementation Agreement for Integrated Dual Polarization Intradyne Coherent Receivers. It is capable of converting the phase encoded optical signals into electrical signals of varying intensity, which can then be analyzed using digital signal processing.

The combination of NeoPhotonics’ own PIC-based ICR and advanced digital signal processing on each channel is supposed to offer service providers new ways to leverage their existing fiber optic cable investments longer, more efficiently and in an ‘on-demand’ manner. Key benefits of the NeoPhotonics ICR with an integrated PBS include that it allows customers to eliminate an external beam splitter from line cards and simplifies fiber routing.

Officials with the company asserted that the rapid increase in the use of coherent transmission technology for 40 Gbps on the line side, coupled with an initial ramp of 100 Gbps coherent systems, necessitates a significant increase in volume shipments of ICRs while maintaining stringent optical performance requirements. Their photonic integration technology utilizes semiconductor-based wafer manufacturing capabilities and is inherently high quality, scalable and cost-effective, which positions the company ahead of the demand curve for this important technology.

NeoPhotonics stated that the increasing demand for high bandwidth due to the dramatic upsurge of traffic in long-haul backbone networks is a catalyst for the emergence of the 40G as well as 100G transmission systems. The company delivers a broad range of PIC-based components for high capacity data transport networks, including 90 Degree Hybrid Coherent Mixers for both 40Gbps and 100Gbps coherent transmission systems.

Nathesh is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Nathesh's articles, please visit his columnist page.